A valve apparatus includes a first base block having flow passages formed therein, a second base block and a control block. By connecting together side surfaces of the blocks so that the surfaces mutually oppose one another, a manifold formed in the interior of each of the blocks is configured and connected, and valves are installed internally in the first base block and the second base block. Further, gaskets are gripped between each of the interconnected parts, wherein the gaskets are held in a state of being flush with or protruding with respect to outer surfaces of the blocks that are positioned on both sides of the gaskets.
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5. A valve apparatus comprising:
a plurality of blocks having flow passages formed therein, wherein by connecting together side surfaces of each of the blocks so that the surfaces thereof mutually oppose one another, said flow passages of each of the blocks communicate with each other, and wherein a valve communicating with said flow passages is installed internally in at least one of said plurality of blocks;
a seal member gripped between respective connecting parts of each of said blocks; and
a cover detachably disposed on one side surface of the block in which said valve is installed, for closing an opening through which said valve is inserted and extracted,
wherein said seal member is held in a state of being flush with or protruding with respect to outer surfaces of the blocks that are positioned on both sides of said seal member, and
wherein a tapered portion, which expands in width toward an outer surface side thereof, is formed in a side surface of said cover that contacts said seal member.
8. A valve apparatus comprising:
a plurality of blocks having flow passages formed therein, wherein by connecting together side surfaces of each of the blocks so that the surfaces thereof mutually oppose one another, said flow passages of each of the blocks communicate with each other, and wherein a valve communicating with said flow passages is installed internally in at least one of said plurality of blocks;
a seal member gripped between respective connecting parts of each of said blocks;
a cover detachably disposed on one side surface of the block in which said valve is installed, for closing an opening through which said valve is inserted and extracted;
a hole disposed in said cover;
a hole disposed in said valve, which is aligned coaxially with respect to the hole of said cover; and
a screw for fixing said valve to said block by threaded engagement with female threads provided in said block, after the screw has been inserted from an upper surface side of the hole of said cover, and inserted through each of the holes of said cover and said valve,
wherein said seal member is held in a state of being flush with or protruding with respect to outer surfaces of the blocks that are positioned on both sides of said seal member.
1. A valve apparatus comprising:
a plurality of blocks having flow passages formed therein, wherein by connecting together side surfaces of each of the blocks so that the surfaces thereof mutually oppose one another, said flow passages of each of the blocks communicate with each other, and wherein a valve communicating with said flow passages is installed internally in at least one of said plurality of blocks;
a seal member gripped between respective connecting parts of each of said blocks, said seal member comprising a first seal portion fitted into a groove formed along an exterior shape of each side surface of the blocks between which the seal member is gripped, and a second seal portion disposed on an outer side of said first seal portion and abutting with an edge portion defining said exterior shape; and
a cover detachably disposed on one side surface of the block in which said valve is installed, for closing an opening through which said valve is inserted and extracted,
wherein said seal member is held in a state of being flush with or protruding with respect to outer surfaces of the blocks that are positioned on both sides of said seal member, and
wherein a part of said second seal portion that contacts said cover is formed in a tapered shape that narrows in width toward an outer surface side thereof.
2. The valve apparatus according to
3. The valve apparatus according to
a hole disposed in said cover;
a hole disposed in said valve, which is aligned coaxially with respect to the hole of said cover; and
a screw for fixing said valve to said block by threaded engagement with female threads provided in said block, after the screw has been inserted from an upper surface side of the hole of said cover, and inserted through each of the holes of said cover and said valve,
wherein a screw portion is formed over a predetermined length from an end of said screw, and
wherein female threads, into which the screw portion formed in said screw can be threaded, are formed in at least a portion of an inner circumferential surface of the hole disposed in said valve.
4. The valve apparatus according to
6. The valve apparatus according to
a hole disposed in said cover;
a hole disposed in said valve, which is aligned coaxially with respect to the hole of said cover; and
a screw for fixing said valve to said block by threaded engagement with female threads provided in said block, after the screw has been inserted from an upper surface side of the hole of said cover, and inserted through each of the holes of said cover and said valve,
wherein a screw portion is formed over a predetermined length from an end of said screw, and
wherein female threads, into which the screw portion formed in said screw can be threaded, are formed in at least a portion of an inner circumferential surface of the hole disposed in said valve.
7. The valve apparatus according to
9. The valve apparatus according to
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a valve apparatus having internally installed valves, wherein the valve apparatus includes a block having flow passages formed therein and another block, the blocks being connected together while gripping a seal member therebetween.
2. Description of the Related Art
In food processing devices and the like that are used at food manufacturing sites, for example, it is essential to perform cleaning and disinfecting operations using water and/or water-based cleansers. Accordingly, a fluid pressure driven device such as a fluid pressure cylinder or the like is integrated within such food processing devices, wherein water resistance of the fluid pressure driven device also is necessary.
The fluid pressure driven device is driven by supplying air, for example, as a driving pressure fluid (operating fluid). In this case, it is generally conventional to arrange a valve apparatus, which serves to appropriately switch the destination of flow of the fluid with respect to the fluid pressure driven device, in the vicinity of the fluid pressure driven device. Accordingly, in the food processing device or the like, it also becomes necessary for the valve apparatus to be water resistant.
Incidentally, in this type of valve apparatus, there are generally a large number of joints and gaps that interconnect a plurality of valves. In the case of a food processing device or the like, liquid and solid materials can become trapped and collect within surface irregularities produced by such joints and gaps. Accordingly, in the case that cleaning is performed using a high pressure cleaning apparatus to clean and remove such collected liquids and solids from the irregular surface portions of such joints and gaps, water and detergents enter into the interior of the valve unit, raising the possibility that damage may occur to the valve unit.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-254859, a solenoid manifold for use in a food processing device is proposed, in which by individually placing the valves one-by-one within a casing in a capsule form, a manifold valve is structured in which the accumulation and retention of liquids does not occur. In this case, a waterproof seal member is arranged between surfaces of the casing and the valve mounts.
Notwithstanding, with the structure disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-254859, in order to prevent accumulation and retention of liquids between each of the valve units (capsules), it is essential for the pitch between each of the valve units to be sufficiently wide, causing a problem that the valve apparatus becomes large in size. In the aforementioned manner, liquids such as collected water, detergents and the like elicit propagation of unwanted bacteria, raising concerns about health and sanitation.
Furthermore, in this type of valve apparatus, which is intended to improve water resistance, although on the one hand the apparatus is highly hermetic and airtight, numerous inconveniences related to disassembly, and in particular maintenance, of the apparatus occur. For example, in the event that a specified valve needs to be exchanged, the replacement operation therefor is quite complicated.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a valve apparatus, which is small in size while preventing accumulation and retention of liquids on the outer surfaces thereof, thereby making it possible to avoid problems associated with hygiene and sanitation.
Further, a principal object of the present invention is to provide a valve apparatus in which maintenance thereon can be improved, while at the same time ensuring water resistance.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a valve apparatus is provided comprising a plurality of blocks having flow passages formed therein, wherein by connecting together side surfaces of each of the blocks so that the surfaces thereof mutually oppose one another, the flow passages of each of the blocks communicate with each other, and wherein a valve communicating with the flow passages is installed internally in at least one of the plurality of blocks. A seal member is gripped between respective connecting parts of each of the blocks, wherein the seal member is held in a state of being flush with or protruding with respect to outer surfaces of the blocks that are positioned on both sides of the seal member.
As a result of such a structure, the tip of the seal member, which is gripped in between connecting portions of each of the blocks, is not held in a state in which it is recessed from the outer surfaces of the blocks, and moreover, each of the blocks is arranged in tight contact therewith. Accordingly, together with ensuring miniaturization and water resistance of the valve apparatus, water and detergents or the like that are used for cleaning operations of the valve apparatus do not accumulate on the outer surfaces or at the connecting portions of the blocks, so that propagation of unwanted bacteria can be avoided.
Further, the aforementioned seal member includes a first seal portion fitted into a groove formed along an exterior shape of each side surface of the blocks between which the seal member is gripped, and a second seal portion disposed on an outer side of the first seal portion and abutting with an edge portion making up the exterior shape, whereby water resistance of the valve apparatus can be even further improved.
Furthermore, a cover is detachably disposed on one side surface of the block in which the valve is installed, for closing an opening through which the valve is inserted and extracted, wherein a tapered portion, which expands in width toward an outer surface side thereof, is formed in a side surface of the cover that contacts the seal member, and/or a part of the second seal portion that contacts the cover is formed in a tapered shaped that narrows in width toward an outer surface side thereof. Accordingly, even in a state in which the blocks are connected sandwiching the seal member therebetween, attachment and detachment of the cover can be smoothly carried out.
Moreover, the valve apparatus further includes a cover detachably disposed on one side surface of the block in which the valve is installed, for closing an opening through which the valve is inserted and extracted, a hole disposed in the cover, a hole disposed in the valve, which is aligned coaxially with respect to the hole of the cover, and a screw for fixing the valve to the block by threaded engagement with female threads provided in the block, after the screw has been inserted from an upper surface side of the hole of the cover, and inserted through each of the holes of the cover and the valve. A screw portion is formed over a predetermined length from an end of the screw, and female threads, into which the screw portion formed in the screw can be threaded, are formed in at least a portion of an inner circumferential surface of the hole disposed in the valve. Thus, even with a compact structure, in which the blocks are connected while sandwiching the seal member therebetween, it is possible for the valve to be easily taken out together with the cover.
Still further, since a tapered portion, which expands in width toward an outer surface side thereof, is formed in a side surface of the cover that contacts the seal member, the cover and the valve can be taken out even more easily and smoothly.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
A preferred embodiment of the valve apparatus according to the present invention shall be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The valve apparatus 10 according to the present invention supplies a pressure fluid (for example, air or liquid) with respect to a fluid pressure driven device, such as a fluid pressure cylinder or the like, which is loaded, for example, into a food processing device. The valve apparatus 10 controls switching of a pressure fluid, which is introduced from an unillustrated fluid pressure supply source, and is capable of selectively supplying the pressure fluid to a plurality of fluid pressure driven devices. Hereinbelow, the present invention shall be described taking as an example a case in which air is used as the pressure fluid.
The valve apparatus 10 includes a first base block 14 in which a valve 12 is installed, a second base block 18 in which a valve 16 is installed, and a control block 22 in which a control substrate 20 that controls driving of the valves 12, 16 is installed. The first base block 14, the second base block 18 and the control block 22 are connected together such that side surfaces thereof mutually face one another, with the second base block 18 being sandwiched between and gripped by the first base block 14 and the control block 22. Furthermore, a pair of end plates 24a, 24b are connected to the first base block 14 and the control block 22, on side surfaces thereof opposite from the sides that are connected to the second base block 18.
The first base block 14, the second base block 18, the control block 22 and the end plates 24a, 24b have different widths in the lateral directions thereof, however, the outer shapes thereof are roughly the same. That is, in the valve apparatus 10, a block formation is formed wherein a stacked body, in which the first base block 14, the second base block 18, and the control block 22 are aligned and connected in series, is sandwiched between the pair of end plates 24a, 24b, and the block formation is connected together integrally by means of bolts 26. In the case of the present embodiment, the bolts 26 are so-called tension bolts, and as shown in
Manifolds 28, which penetrate along the connecting directions thereof, are formed respectively substantially in center portions of the first base block 14, the second base block 18 and the control block 22. Accordingly, when the first base block 14, the second base block 18 and the control block 22 are connected, respective end surfaces of each of the manifolds 28 are placed in intimate contact communicating with each other, thereby functioning as a manifold 28 that extends in the connecting direction of the valve apparatus 10. Moreover, in the manifold 28, five flow passages are arranged in parallel, wherein air or the like that makes up the pressure fluid flows internally therethrough, the details of which shall be described later on.
Manifold ends 30a, 30b, which have substantially the same shape as the manifold 28 itself, are formed in the end plates 24a, 24b at positions corresponding to the manifold 28. The manifold ends 30a, 30b serve to close both ends of the respective flow passages constituting the manifold 28.
Gaskets 32 are gripped between respective connecting portions in the valve apparatus 10, for example, between the connecting portions of the first base block 14 and the second base block 18. The gaskets 32 prevent permeation of water or detergent into the interior of the valve apparatus 10 from the connecting portions. That is, the gaskets 32 are used as sealing members for improving water resistance of the valve apparatus 10. Furthermore, the gaskets 32 reliably place the communicating portions (connecting portions) of the flow passages of each of the manifolds 28 in intimate contact, and function to prevent leakage of air or the like at the communicating portions, as well as to prevent mixing of air or the like between respective flow passages of the manifold 28.
As shown in
As shown in
In the base 34, the greater portion of both side surfaces that are connected to the second base block 18 or the like are open, and a groove 35 is formed in a surrounding manner along the outer shape of the side surfaces (see
A manifold 28, made up of five flow passages arranged in parallel that penetrate in a widthwise direction of the base 34, is disposed in a substantially central portion of the base 34.
From among the five flow passages constituting the manifold 28, two small-diameter flow passages make up pilot flow passages, through which pilot air flows for driving main valves (not shown) of the valves 12 and 16. As shown in
On the other hand, among the five flow passages constituting the manifold 28, the remaining three larger diameter flow passages function as air passages (pressure fluid flow passages), through which air, which makes up the pressure fluid, flows for driving an unillustrated fluid pressure driven device. As shown in
Further, the base 34 includes a center frame 50, formed in a stepped shape, longitudinal ends of which are connected substantially centrally, and which penetrates through an upper portion of the manifold 28. The valve 12 is installed in a substantially L-shaped space 34a, at an upper side partitioned by the center frame 50, and a substrate 36 is installed in a roughly rectangular shaped space 34b, at a lower side partitioned by the center frame 50.
As shown in
In this case, the flow passages 52, 54 communicate respectively with the pilot supply flow passage 42 and the pilot discharge flow passage 44 (see
Couplings 70, 72 communicate with the outlet ports 66, 68. Pipes (not shown) are connected to the couplings 70, 72, wherein other ends of the pipes are connected to the fluid pressure driven device.
In the present embodiment, as described above, the flow passages 62, 64 communicate respectively with the outlet ports 66, 68, however the flow passages 62, 64 also can communicate with other outlet ports 74, 76, which are formed to face a narrow side surface (the side surface on the front side as shown in
The valve 12 is equipped with a plurality of ports (not shown) that communicate with the flow passages 52, 54, 56, 58, 62, 64 when the valve 12 is fixed in the base 34. The ports communicate respectively with a pilot valve (not shown) and a main valve (not shown) disposed in the valve 12. The valve 12 is a so-called pilot solenoid valve, wherein by means of a solenoid (not shown) therein, the pilot valve is switched and driven, and the main valve is switched and driven by means of the pilot air pressure supplied via the pilot valve.
In the valve 12, the pilot valve turns ON and OFF the supply of pilot air to the main valve, which is supplied from the pilot supply flow passage 42 of the manifold 28 and via the flow passage 52. The pilot air, after the main valve is driven, is discharged to the pilot discharge flow passage 44 through the flow passage 54 (see
Stated otherwise, in the valve 12, the air supplied from the supply flow passage 46 is subjected to a switching control, in accordance with controlling driving of the main valve by the pilot air, wherein air is selectively supplied to the outlet port 66 or the outlet port 68. As a result, the air, which defines a pressure fluid delivered to a fluid pressure driven device connected through the couplings 70, 72 and piping (not shown), is appropriately supplied from the outlet ports 66, 68. In this case, air (exhaust) that is returned from the fluid pressure driven device is discharged from the valve 12 to the discharge flow passage 48 of the manifold 28 via the flow passages 58, 60.
Incidentally, the solenoid that is contained within the valve 12 is driven electrically. In this case, as shown in
Substrates 36 are arranged substantially at the same position also in the second base block 18 and in the control block 22. More specifically, by respectively connecting together the terminals 86a, 86b that are disposed on both ends of the lower surface of each of the substrates 36, each of the substrates 36 is electrically connected to the power source terminals 88 of the control block 22, and accordingly, supply of electricity to the solenoids is enabled.
The valve 12 constructed as described above is inserted into the interior of the base 34 from the opening 38, installed in the space 34a at an upper side partitioned by the center frame 50, and reliably fixed in the base 34 by two fitting screws (screws) 90, 90 together with the cover 40. In addition, the cover 40 sandwiches a gasket 92, which serves as a seal member, with respect to an upper surface of the base 34 at a border region thereof defined by the opening 38, and is attached by fixing screws 94, whereby the valve 12 is hermetically sealed inside of the base 34. In this case, the fixing screws 94 pass through holes 40a, 40a and 92a, 92a formed at both end sides of the cover 40 and the gasket 92, and are threaded into engagement with female threads 98, 98 on the upper surface of the base 34 via washers 96.
A manual switch 99 constructed so as to enable pressing of a switch 97 disposed on the upper surface of the valve 12 is disposed on the upper surface of the cover 40. The manual switch 99 serves as a switch for allowing manual control of the valve 12.
With reference primarily to
As shown in
The fitting screws 90 are inserted through holes 40b disposed in the cover 40, as well as through holes 12a disposed in the valve 12, which are coaxially aligned with the holes 40b, and are threaded into female threads (nuts) 104 disposed in the base 34 (i.e., in the center frame 50). At this time, the fitting screws 90 are screw-engaged with the female threads 104 in a state such that gaskets 100 serving as seal members are gripped by the fitting screws 90 on the upper surface of the cover 40, and washers 102 are gripped between the valve 12 and the lower surface of the cover 40. Accordingly, as shown in
Incidentally, when maintenance operations are performed, for example, to replace the valve 12 with a new valve, it is necessary to take out the valve 12 from a state in which it is installed in the base 34. In this case, with the valve apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the width of the base 34 is extremely small, and therefore it may be difficult and troublesome for an operator to remove the valve 12 from the opening 38 of the base 34 by means of the fingers. Furthermore, because the valve apparatus 10 is of a water-resistant structure, wherein the respective structural components of the first base block 14 and the like are connected through gaskets 32, dismantling the valve apparatus 10 per se simply for the purpose of removing the valve 12 causes lowering of the water-resistant properties of the valve apparatus 10, and thus is undesirable.
Thus, in the case of the present embodiment, a portion of the inner circumferential surface that makes up the hole 12a of the valve 12 is formed with female threads 12b therein, with which a screw portion 90a of the fitting screw 90 is capable of threaded engagement (see
Accordingly, when the fitting screw 90 is unthreaded and the valve 12 is taken out from the opening 38, as shown in
In this way, in the valve apparatus 10 of the present invention, by keeping the fitting screw 90 captive within the valve 12, a structure is obtained by which the valve 12 can easily be taken out using the fitting screw 90.
The second base block 18, which is connected with respect to the first base block 14 in the aforementioned structure, has substantially the same outer shape and structure as the first base block 14. Accordingly, structural elements thereof that are identical or similar to those of the first base block 14 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed explanations of such features shall be omitted throughout the descriptions below.
As shown in
Accordingly, the second base block 18 includes a base 106, valve 16 and cover 108, which are somewhat narrower in width than the base 34, valve 12 and cover 40. Otherwise, apart from having couplings 110, 112, with set diameters somewhat smaller than those of the couplings 70, 72 corresponding to the reduced amount of flow rate switching performed thereby, the second base block 18 is constructed basically the same as the first base block 14.
The control block 22 is supplied with power through the power source terminals 88 from an unillustrated power source, and makes up a control unit that controls various types of valve apparatuses 10 through the control substrate 20. The control block 22, apart from being wider than the first base block 14 in the widthwise direction, is substantially the same in terms of the outer shape thereof as the first base block 14, although a cover 40 or the like is not provided, since an opening on the upper surface thereof is not necessary.
The control block 22 thus constructed has a substrate 36 installed therein, which is electrically connected to the control substrate 20, and further, by connecting the terminals 86a thereof with the terminals 86b of the substrate 36 of the second base block 18, the valves 12, 16 installed inside of the first and second base blocks 14, 18 can be driven and controlled.
Furthermore, plural flow passages (not shown) that communicate with the supply flow passage 46, etc., constituting the manifold 28 are included in the control block 22. The respective flow passages also communicate with plural ports (not shown) that open on the lower surface side of the control block 22. As shown in
The coupling 114 communicates with the pilot supply flow passage 42, and is connected to unillustrated piping from an unillustrated pilot air supply source (e.g., an air pump). Further, the coupling 116 communicates with the pilot discharge flow passage 44.
The coupling 118 communicates with the supply flow passage 46, and is connected to unillustrated piping from an unillustrated air (pressure fluid) supply source (e.g., an air pump). Further, the couplings 120, 122 communicate with the pilot discharge flow passages 48, 48.
As shown in
As shown in
As a result, the coupling 70 and the like can easily be connected to the lower surface of the valve apparatus 10. Moreover, the valve apparatus 10 can be arranged with a sufficient gap securely formed between the installation surface and the lower surface of the valve apparatus 10. Owing thereto, cleaning operations can easily be preformed on the lower surface of the valve apparatus 10, in addition to enabling water or detergent, which has collected on the lower surface, to be reliably removed by drying or wiping. Accordingly, water and the like is not retained on the lower surface of the valve apparatus, and thus the occurrence of bacterial propagation can reliably be avoided.
Furthermore, a generally thick-walled manifold seal portion 32c, which is fitted into grooves 37 formed so as to peripherally surround the respective flow passages making up the manifold 28, is formed on the inner side of the first seal portion 32a.
Concerning the water resistant structure provided by the gasket 32 in the valve apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, with reference primarily to
As shown in
As shown in
In this case, at the sides and lower portions of the first base block 14 and the second base block 18, as can be comprehended from
On the other hand, as shown in
In this manner, the valve apparatus 10 can be made small in size by connecting together, while placing in intimate contact, each of the blocks of the first base block 14, etc. Notwithstanding, since accumulation and retention of liquids on the outer surfaces thereof can be prevented, propagation of unwanted bacteria can be avoided.
Incidentally, as described above, tapered portions 41, 109 are formed, which expand in width toward the outer surface sides thereof, on the upper portions of the first base block 14 and the second base block 18, that is, on the covers 40, 108. Also, a taper, which narrows in width toward the outer surface side, is formed on the second seal portion 32b at the upper portion of the gasket 32 (see
Next, basic operations of the valve apparatus 10, constructed as indicated above, shall be described.
In the valve apparatus 10 having the first base block 14 and the second base block 18 interconnected, initially, electric lines from an electrical source and from a controller for a food processing device or the like (not shown) are connected to the control block 22 through the power source terminals 88. Next, air (pressure fluid) is supplied from an unillustrated air supply source to the coupling 118 of the control block 22, and pilot air from an unillustrated pilot air supply source is supplied to the coupling 114. Specifically, the air is supplied to the supply flow passage 46 of the manifold 28, and the pilot air is supplied to the pilot supply flow passage 42.
Next, the supplied electricity and control signals are transmitted from the control substrate 20 of the control block 22 to the solenoids (not shown) installed in the valves 12, 16 of the first base block 14 and the second base block 18, via terminals 86a, 86b of the respective substrates 36. When this is done, in each of the valves 12, 16, the pilot valves (not shown) are subject to switching control by the solenoids, whereby pilot air supplied to the valves 12, 16 from the pilot supply flow passage 42, and via the flow passage 52, is supplied to a given main valve (not shown), thus also subjecting the main valve to switching control.
By means of the switching control of the main valves by the pilot air, in the valve apparatus according to the present embodiment, air from the supply flow passage 46 of the manifold 28 can be appropriately supplied to fluid pressure driven devices (not shown), which are connected respectively to the first base block 14 and the second base block 18 and which define the supply destinations for the air.
More specifically, in the first base block 14, air from the supply flow passage 46 of the manifold 28 is made to flow selectively through the flow passages 62, 64 by the main valve of the valve 12 under the control of the control substrate 20 installed in the control block 22, and flows through the couplings 70, 72 to the fluid pressure driven device connected to the first base block 14 (see
In the first base block 14 and the second base block 18, pilot air that has been used for switching control of the main valve, and surplus pilot air, is discharged to the outside through the coupling 116 of the control valve 22, after flowing from the flow passage 54 to the pilot discharge flow passage 44 of the manifold 28. On the other hand, in the first base block 14 and the second base block 18, the remaining air (exhaust air) from each of the fluid pressure driven devices, after flowing from the flow passages 58, 60 to the discharge flow passages 48, 48 of the manifold 28, is discharged to the outside through the couplings 120, 122 of the control block 22.
With the above-described embodiment, a structure has been explained in which one of each of the first base block 14 and the second base block 18 constituting the valve apparatus 10 is used, however, the invention is not limited to such a structure. Multiple units of the first base blocks 14 and the second base blocks 18 can be connected together simultaneously. Further, it is not required that both blocks of the first base block 14 and the second base block 18 must be used.
Further, in the valve apparatus 10, it goes without saying that the structures of the valves 12, 16, and the number of flow passages constituting the manifold 28, are not limited to the structures shown in the above-described embodiment.
Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an explanation was given of an external pilot type, which utilized the pilot supply flow passage 42. However, the invention is not limited to this structure. An internal pilot type, which uses as pilot air the air (pressure fluid) that flows through the supply flow passage 46, may also be provided.
In the above embodiment, as shown in
Further, for example, the substrate 36 and the terminals 86a (86b) can be placed vertically along a side surface that lies substantially perpendicular to the cover 40 in the base 34 of the first base block 14. The same also holds true for the second base block 18, etc.
Moreover, apart from being disposed in the control block 22, for example, the couplings 114, 116, as well as other couplings or the like, can also be disposed in the end blocks 24a (24b). In addition, ventilation ports and the like, or other types of couplings may also be added to the control block 22, etc.
Finally, the invention is by no means limited to the above-described embodiment, but rather, various other structures can naturally be adopted therefor, without departing from the essence and gist of the present invention.
Ito, Yoshihiko, Takada, Hideyuki
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Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Jul 17 2007 | TAKADA, HIDEYUKI | SMC Kabushiki Kaisha | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 019952 | /0138 | |
Jul 17 2007 | ITO, YOSHIHIKO | SMC Kabushiki Kaisha | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 019952 | /0138 | |
Oct 12 2007 | SMC Kabushiki Kaisha | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / |
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